


Back to Human

by BohemianBeth



Series: Four Magical Misfits [8]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Cats, Fluff, Genies, M/M, Random - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:48:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21926968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BohemianBeth/pseuds/BohemianBeth
Summary: Delilah discovers a genie.OrA very random Four Magical Misfits Christmas Special
Relationships: Brian May/Roger Taylor, John Deacon/Freddie Mercury
Series: Four Magical Misfits [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1421443
Comments: 10
Kudos: 15





	Back to Human

**Author's Note:**

> Wait what? Another Christmas special? The last one came out so depressing. What the hell are you doing, Beth? Well, I wish I knew what I was doing half the time LOL.
> 
> So this one just happens to take place during Christmas but the holiday is not really the focus, and it's a lot more light hearted and funny. No angst here. Just chaos and fun! Oh and did I mention it's from Delilah's POV?
> 
> SPOILERS AHEAD for the main Four Magical Misfits story. Make sure you're updated. You can read this out of context if you'd like, but don't bitch to me when the very first sentence is a spoiler because I'm putting this out there. You have been warned.

_Delilah's POV_

"How are we going to spend our first Christmas as free men?" Freddie drawled as he dressed the Christmas tree with toys. The toys were for the tree, but I wanted to play with them. This happened every year. I watched mesmerized as Freddie took another red bulb out of the box and put it up on the tree. I bet that thing rolled around like a squeaky ball and would be a lot of fun to bat with my paws.

"I invited my family over to Garden Lodge, but Papa says it's just for a get-together, and he won't acknowledge that I've been celebrating Christmas all these years with you three. I have to remember my roots. We're not Christian." Freddie explained. "Either way I'm getting them all presents!" He sang. I knew my muse was happy when his voice got all sing songy even though he was speaking. However something he said-sang upset me. _'You mean you four. I'm here too.'_ I hissed. ' _We celebrated Christmas together before you met the boys. Remember, Freddie? Remember? There was a tree and everything. I hate Prenter but he got us a tree. Although it smelled like plastic and not a real tree, but we still had Christmas.'_

Freddie dropped the bulb. Yes! This one belonged to me, not the tree. Unfortunately, it cracked once it hit the ground. "Fuck!" Freddie shouted.

"No need to curse about it, Fred. It's no big deal. I'll go get the vacuum and clean it up." Brian said. Wait. Vacuum? Oh no, not that motherfucker again! _'Don't do it, Brimi, don't unleash that monster! It's not worth it!'_ I mewled. I bit his pant leg trying to stop him.

"Delilah, darling, why don't you go play with the other cats far away from the shattered glass. The vacuum will take care of it. There's no need to be afraid of a silly old hoover."

 _'Don't tell me what to do, Freddie! I'm not a dog.'_ I tried to claw my way out of his grasp. "My what a sassy cat I have." He laughed. _'This isn't funny! Let me go! I need to protect Brian from the evil vacuum before it slurps away everything we know and love!'_

"She seems pretty upset, Freddie. Are you sure coddling her like that is a good idea?" Deaky spoke up on my behalf.

"Delilah is just being a fussy little drama queen. She's fine." Freddie dismissed, hugging me tighter. "Nothing a little cuddling can't fix."

 _'No! You're the drama queen, Freddie, not me! Now is not the time for cuddles. I need to defeat Vacuum and play with the bulbs! Put me down now or I will scratch you!'_ I hissed.

"Ahh, you're cute when you throw these moodies. Even when you're all claws and you bite, you're still so adorable."

 _'I bet if I were human, you'd take me seriously for once.'_ I clawed at Freddie, finally getting some skin. Yes! "Ow!" He dropped me. Cats always land on their feet.

"Bad Delilah! Bad! What has gotten into you? Why would you do that to me? Don't you love me?" He touched the wound on his shoulder, and crooned a few notes, healing my claw marks. _'Such a drama queen!'_ I mewled as Freddie fainted onto the couch. I'd seen him heal much more difficult ouchies and not pass out. Proving my point, Freddie was fine moments later when he caught me going back to toward the bulbs. "No, darling, don't go near that glass. I'll have to heal you too if you get glass in your paws. Oh dear! Even if you're a being bad girl, I never ever ever want you to get hurt."

"Brian, what the hell is taking you so long?" Roger called as he and Deaky stepped in front of the glass on the floor trying to act as a barrier. I couldn't have any fun!

"Sorry. I got distracted. I found this box in the closet." Brian returned thankfully without the dreadful vacuum. Instead he was holding a strange colorful box with weird writing scrawled across the top. "It says: Break me, wake me from my home within, and I shall become your slave."

Roger grabbed the box from him and inspected it. "No it doesn't. It's gibberish."

"It's Latin, Roggie." Brian clarified. My eyes were glued to this mysterious box as Roger shook it. Freddie snatched the box next and tried to pry it open, but nothing happened.

"So you just happened to come across this cryptic Latin box in our storage closet?" Deaky asked skeptically. "Maybe it's cursed."

"I never go near the storage closet. It's full of cleaning supplies." Freddie made a face. "I may have lost my shoe the other day, but I'm not Cinderella."

"I swear I've never seen it before and unlike you I actually do chores around here so I go into the storage closet from time to time." John remarked. "I think we should get rid of it. Magical creatures just got their rights. If we open Pandora's box and unleash a kind of dark magic onto the world, those still prejudice against us can use it as an excuse to bring us back to the dark ages."

"I think the only logical answer is research. We should go to the library and see if there's anything written about a box like this." Brian suggested. "As of now we don't know if it's good or bad. We don't even know what it is. As the saying goes knowledge is power."

"That message is rather ominous, but now I'm curious. It's not snowing too hard. We can go to the library right now." Freddie said.

"But what about the Christmas tree? We have to finish decorating it." Roger complained.

"We can finish when we get back. We have weeks until Christmas." Deaky assured him.

"Libraries are lame." The drummer sulked.

"There's an entire shelf full of books about cars." Brian tempted him.

"I'm there. Let's go." He quickly changed his mind.

Freddie set the box down on the mantle. "Delilah, darling, I'm trusting you to guard this box while we're gone. We don't know what it is. It could be dangerous. So be careful and don't let anyone touch it. Okay?"

 _'You can count on me!'_ I assured him.

The moment they left, I leapt up onto the mantle and gnawed at the box. When my teeth didn't chomp through the box, I swatted it in between my paws. I made a game out of knocking it back and forth with my paws. Then I pushed the box too hard, and it tumbled off the mantle, hitting the ground with a loud clunk. That was enough to snap it open. Huh. That was easier then I expected. How come the boys had so much trouble?

I jumped down and nudged the now open box with my nose so it tilted and spilled out whatever secrets it was holding. _'Please be a ball of yarn. Please be a ball of yarn.'_ A lamp rolled out instead.

Oh well. I pounced down on the lamp, batting it in between my paws. Suddenly a puff of smoke drizzled out of the head of the lamp. I shrieked and cowered beneath the mantel as a woman emerged from the forming smoke. I had never seen a creature like her before. From her head to her torso she resembled any normal human. Her long hair bounced in a pony tail. Sparkly silver bracelets encircled her arms. Instead of legs and feet, however, her lower body disintegrated into the smoke spilling from the lamp.

"Hey there cutie pie. Oh goodness me! It's been so long since I've been in that lamp. Did cats take over the world? Where's my new master?" Her voice had a musical element to it like she was singing.

' _Muse.'_ I purred in familiarity.

"A muse? Oh! I've never had a muse master before. This ought to be fun. Can you please bring me to the muse who rubbed my lamp, little cat?"

 _'You understand me?'_ Only Freddie could understand me and that was because he healed me. This muse must be even more powerful than him. She certainly looked different.

Even her laughter sounded like bells ringing. "Genies can communicate every creature. You never know who your new master will end up being. Speaking of which, where is my muse master?"

 _'You're not a muse, you're a genie.'_ I realized.

"That's right. My name is Gigi. Gigi the Genie. Are you the muse's pet? My last master had a pet dog. I miss them and they're friends. I wonder what they're up to now. Do you know what year it is?"

 _'Umm the 80s I think? I'm not too good at telling time, but Freddie taught me how to read. I'm not his pet. I'm his best friend.'_ I clarified.

"Of course you are." Gigi sounded unconvinced. "So is this Freddie the one who rubbed my lamp?"

Was that a euphemism? Freddie was happy at home with Deaky, and I didn't want Gigi to ruin things for them. ' _Freddie is more into light bulbs than lamps. What do you want with my muse anyway?"_

"I don't know what that means, but if Freddie rubbed my lamp, that makes him my new master. That's how genies work. I am enslaved to whomever rubs my lamp." She gestured to her bracelets. "These are my shackles. So I am forever at someone's beck and call unless he or she wishes to set me free."

I looked down at the lamp I had batted in between my paws then back up at the floating genie. _'I rubbed your lamp.'_

"Oh!" Gigi gasped. "This is a first." She bowed before me. "I am at your service, Mistress."

Was this genie my slave now? She could give me all the treats and belly rubs in the world. This was great! Gigi still didn't rise. "How may I address you, Mistress, or is just Mistress appropriate?"

_'Delilah.'_

"Delilah." Gigi repeated, unbending her body from its bowed position. "You are my first ever animal master. I am humbled to be at your service. While you are in possession of my lamp, I can grant you 3 wishes. You cannot wish for more wishes. My powers are limited in that I can't make people fall in love nor can I bring people back from the dead. Oh and once your wishes come true, you're not allowed to tell anyone about me or your what you wished for otherwise your wish will be deactivated. Other than that wish away."

 _'I can wish for anything?'_ My mind reeled with possibilities.

"Anything your heart desires. The most popular wish genies receive is for fame and fortune and everything that goes with it. Popularity is also a common wish.I suggest being very specific with your wording. See fame and popularity are different things. So be careful in what you wish fo **—** "

_"_ **_—_ ** _I wish everyone could understand me and not just Freddie."_

Sparks flew from the tips of Gigi's fingers."Done. You have 2 more wishes left."

_'So when the boys come back from the library, they'll all be able to understand me?'_

"Yes they will." Gigi confirmed. "You just can't tell Freddie or any other cats about me or the wish."

_'You mean Freddie or anyone else because it's not just him and the cats anymore. They all can understand me!'_

"Oh Delilah, I told you to be specific. The magic didn't translate what you meant correctly. Others will be able to understand your needs and emotions but they will not comprehend your every meow. You should have wished for the ability to communicate with every creature." Gigi explained.

 _'This is bullshit!'_ I snarled. ' _If this was my 1st life I could have had you beheaded for this!'_

"Pardon?"

_'I was always a cat in all of my previous lives except for my 1st life. In that life I was a human queen. I don't remember much from that life except I shouted 'Off with your head!' A lot when I got angry.'_

Gigi gulped. "I'm in the presence of a killer queen." She bowed again. "I'm sorry if I have failed you Mistress. Please be forgiving and spare me a punishment."

I purred gently. _'I forgive you, Gigi even though your genie magic is dumb. If I were still a queen, you wouldn't be beheaded.'_

"A lot of my previous masters weren't as forgiving as you, but some have been very compassionate like my most recent master and his friends." Gigi sighed, lost in thought. Then she regrouped. "So, Delilah, perhaps that might be your next wish. To return to those days of your 1st life? I can make that happen if that's what you want."

 _'Become a queen again?'_ I considered it. Would anyone take a cat queen seriously? No. They'd all be like Freddie and fuss over how cute I was. I would be much better off wishing to finally catch the red laser dot. Then I would be the envy of cats everywhere. Although there was something more impactful that I should wish for...

 _'I want to be human. Can you do that, Gigi?'_ If I were human, my life would be perfect. Everyone would understand me for real. I could really be an asset to Freddie and the boys. Helping them as a cat always seemed to do more harm than good. Best of all, it'd be easier to flirt with Brian. What? There's still a chance for us even if he's married. Romeo won't mind.

"That is a very specific wish. I think you'll get exactly what you want. I can do that, but are you sure you want to change species? It's life altering to say the least. I've had masters wish for that type of difference in perspective and they've regretted it." Gigi warned.

_'Well they didn't think their wish through. I have. I know this is what I want. Gigi, I wish to be human.'_

"Your wish is my command." Sparks flew from her fingers just like before.

**Meanwhile at the library....**

Stay on task? Hahaha. No. The mysterious box was soon forgotten within minutes of Queen arriving at the library. Roger as to be expected was the first to break his focus and went right to books on cars. Brian, Freddie, and John all made their way to the section on ancient magic that would offer an explanation on this box. No one would have suspected Brian to be the next to get distracted, but it turns out there was a world famous scientist and astronaut doing a book signing today. This man also happened to be a fan of Brian and owned one of his red special guitars, so the two fanboyed over each other.

"Okay, darling, it looks like it's just you and me." Freddie told Deaky. "Let's peruse the shelves in this section for something that can help us figure out--Oooh! Ancient Muse Lores!"

"Freddie, I don't think a book of muse fairy tales is going to answer our questions about the box." John said, but then he looked down at Freddie who had already plopped himself down on one of the beanbag chairs with the book. He flipped through it with almost childlike fascination. _'So cute.'_ Deaky thought to himself.

"You're cute too, darling." Freddie replied. "Come here sit on my lap. I found a story that I remember my Mama used to read to me every night."

John blushed. "Freddie, we're in a public place. I'm not about to--"

"--AY-OH!" The muse crooned earning a shush from the librarian, but it was enough to harness the magic needed to forcibly compel Deaky onto his lap. Locked in place, John pouted. "You know you freak me out when you take control of my body like that. You promised you'd never force me to do anything I didn't want to do."

"I can't hold the magic for very long without getting winded. You're free now. But I don't think you want to leave. You're so very comfortable here, aren't you, my love?" Freddie's voice took on a sing-song element that Deaky couldn't resist. Maybe it was more muse magic, but he was content. "You're right. I want to stay right here." He nuzzled against Freddie.

"Once upon a time," Freddie read, "in the ancient world when muses and magical creatures roamed free, there was a human queen of a far away land. She was kindhearted and generous and beloved by all those around her, including the citizens of her kingdom. When the ancient queen reigned, peace ruled the land. However, when the hunters revolted and disrupted this harmony of all creatures, the queen's heart grew heavy and she had to resort to violence to protect the people she loved. She sentenced many hunters to death when they attempted to enslave magical creatures and declare themselves as superior. The human queen's only power against the hunters was that of the guillotine--"

"--Wait this is a children's book?" John interrupted.

"Yes. I told you Mama would read it to me every night and then sing me a lullaby and I'd be sound asleep within minutes. I'm sure she did the same with Kashmira." Freddie clarified.

"But it's rather dark. Don't you think?" Deaky was of course familiar with original versions of fairytales before Disney made them kid friendly, but this story seemed a bit more sinister than even some of the grisly Grimm stories.

Freddie shrugged and continued to read. "...One day, the lead hunter proposed a treaty. Hunters would swear an oath to protect the humans. Magical creatures would become domicile servants through a humiliating claiming process. If the queen disagreed to these conditions, the hunters threatened to kill her and take over her kingdom. As a sign of peace, the hunters presented the queen with a muse consort. The muse had been stripped of his dignity. He kneeled before her with tears in his eyes, naked and chained. The lead hunter struck him and he began to sing. Over the sound of the beautiful muse's voice, the hunter explained to the queen that this muse was hers and she could do with him whatever she pleased. Heartbroken by the sight, the queen unchained the muse and presented him with clothing. She sent him to her chamber to be pampered by her ladies in waiting. "That muse belongs to no one." She declared. "I reject your treaty. OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" This time the royal guards did not respond to the queen's shouts. In preparation for this possibility, the hunters had already arranged a coup. They had ambushed the palace and locked all of the royal guards and servants in the dungeon. The defenseless queen now had no choice but to give in to the hunters' demands. However, she still refused. "You have no right to treat creatures so disgracefully. I shall never give in even if you kill me." The queen was slaughtered where she stood by the hunter's sword. The kingdom was fallen, and now the lead hunter declared himself king. Magical creatures would forever be subjected to the hunters' terror. By the time the muse used his magic to escape the dungeon, he discovered that he was too late. The queen couldn't be revived for she was long perished. Instead, the muse retrieved her spirit by connecting with his spirit animal of a cat and created eight new lives successfully reincarnating her for an ongoing legacy. Connecting with his spirit animal required a magic too powerful for the muse to harness with his voice, and the process killed him. However, before he died, he vowed to be reborn each time alongside his queen. In each new life, he would be her consort and repay her kindness with unconditional love and protection. At the end of the queen's ninth and final life, it is said that muses and magical creatures will be free once more, and the muse consort will once again connect with his spirit animal to breath a new set of lives into the queen's spirit so that she can live forever."

"Wow! That was um..." John searched for the right words.

"A lot more depressing than I remember." Freddie summed up. "Fuck! What a downer. I don't remember the queen and her muse dying like that. Although I usually fell asleep before the ending."

"Well, we're free now just like the story predicted. So maybe the queen and her muse have been revived." Deaky said optimistically.

"Maybe." Freddie agreed.

_'Attention readers! The library will be closing in 39 seconds. So please check out your books and get out!'_

"Oh shit! We forgot all about the bloody box!" Freddie realized.

**Back at Garden Lodge...**

I stared down at my hands in disbelief. My new fingers wiggled on command."No way!" I covered my mouth in shock (feeling no whiskers). That wasn't a meow. I had a voice. A real human voice!

"How are you feeling?" Gigi asked. Her voice was softer on my now less sensitive human ears. She no longer had a scent. I wiggled my nose and sniffed the air, finding that all of the aromas had been dulled. I crawled closer to Gigi. Crouching down on all fours like this felt off. I wobbled up on my hind legs finding that I was able to travel faster this way in my new body. Finally I got close enough to the genie to smell her. "I don't smell you as good." I noted.

"Your sense of smell has likely dimmed." Gigi floated backwards and away from my sudden closeness. "But I'm sure your sight has gotten better."

I blinked taking everything in. My vision was much more sharp and crisp and the colors all seemed brighter and more vibrant than before. The bulbs on the Christmas tree dazzled before me: red, green, and blue like I had never seen before.

Reaching up my new hand I plucked one of the bulbs out of the tree. These fingers were so much better than paws at grasping things. Within the shiny red glass, I caught a glimpse of my own reflection. I screamed and the ornament slipped from my fingers. It shattered alongside the bulb Freddie had dropped earlier.

"Oh let me fetch you a mirror. You don't even know what you look like." Gigi exclaimed. A mirror magically appeared in her hands.

My plush tricolored fur was gone and I stared back at an unrecognizable human face although my eyes were still wide and dark somewhat catlike. Messy dirty blonde hair cascaded down my back.I ran my tongue across my teeth as I examined the pearly structures no longer as sharp as they were before. How could I chomp down on mice without my sharpened incisors?

"What do you think?" Gigi asked.

"Different." I murmured.

Gigi looked up, more alerted by noises than me. My senses were delayed so I only heard the jingle of keys in the door as it was opening. "Remember, Delilah, no one can no about me or your wishes or else they'll be deactivated and if someone else rubs the lamp they'll become my new master." The genie sunk back into the lamp. Without thinking, I hid it behind the Christmas tree just as the door opened.

The boys were in the middle of a conversation and if I had my normal hearing I would have been able to pick up on it sooner. "...all got distracted. So no, it's not only my fault, Roger we're all to blame." Oh my goodness! That sounded like Brian! I gotta be cool, relax. I bit down on my lip and batted my eyelashes. I tried to fluff my tail, but I didn't have a tail anymore.

The boys all filed into the room as Brian and Roger bickered as usual. "It's your fault because you were supposed to keep us on task."

"I'm sure if we just put the box back in the storage closet where we found it, nothing bad will happen." Deaky said. "That means no touching it, alright?"

"Why is everyone looking at me?" Roger cried.

"Why don't we finish decorating the tree?" Freddie suggested.

He rounded the corner before the others and quickly spotted me, doing a double take. "Hi Freddie! Recognize me?" I giggled.

"What the fuck?" The muse cried. Without saying another word, Freddie ran back around the corner to warn the others. "There is a naked girl standing in front of our Christmas tree. What do we do?"

Wait a minute...was I naked? I looked down at my skin no longer covered with fur. Yeah I needed clothing. I snatched the hand sewn blanket resting on the mantel as Freddie was pestered with questions.

"What do you mean?" Deaky exclaimed.

"How did she get here?" Brian wondered.

"Is she hot?" Roger inquired.

"She knows who I am. What if she's a stalker fan? She seems harmless enough, but you can never be too careful."

Minor claws and scratches aside, I would never dream of hurting Freddie. He was my best friend and I'd do just about anything for him. Except take a bath. I hated baths. Curiously I licked the human skin of my hand. I probably wouldn't be able to clean myself as easily. I shuddered at the thought of having to take baths as frequently as I licked myself clean. Bathing every day was torture!

"I don't think she's sane. Who breaks into somebody house naked?" Deaky cried.

"I didn't break in! I live here!" I exclaimed garnering the attention of all four of them. Jaws dropped and eyes bulged. "Hi Brian." I waved shyly up at my crush. He was too stunned to say anything back. For once the band was silent. What was wrong with them? Did they go into shock or something? What was the big deal?

"You weren't joking, Fred." Roger was the first to speak. "She's real."

"And she stole Deaky's blanket." Freddie scoffed eyeing the blanket I had wrapped around myself. Oh no! I leaned down and gave the blanket a sniff in confirmation. This wasn't just any old blanket; this was the ' _I don't care how much you want to dig your claws into the yarn, I taught myself how to sew specifically to make this blanket for my Deaky. Be a good_ _and respect that or else I'll be very disappointed in you.'_ blanket.Freddie had physically crafted this soft blanket for his soulmatebecause anything the muse sang for him would disappear after midnight the following night.

I unwrapped the blanket from around myself and presented it to Freddie bowing my head slightly and whimpering in acknowledgement of my mistake. That trick usually made him melt and forgive me on the spot no questions asked.

"What the fuck?" Freddie shouted.

Deaky and Brian covered their eyes while Roger just stared at me shamelessly.

"We should call the police. She's mad." Brian cried.

"Brimi, no! You can't call the cops on me. Don't betray me like that!" I wailed.

"Betray you? Bitch, he doesn't even know you." Roger remarked.

"Freddie, do something! Roger just called me a bitch. I'm not a dog!" I pouted. My muse would normally come to my defense in this situation and call out Roger for insulting me.

"Okay, let's all calm down, my darlings. First thing's first... _Have a holly jolly Christmas. It's the best time of the year._ " Freddie randomly burst into song. I was proud of him. There was a time when he avoided Christmas carols like the Grinch even when I begged him to sing them. It spoke wonders to how far he had come since his days in the lab. When I felt his magic surrounding me, I understood why Freddie was singing. A golden dress formed on my body. It was itchy and constricting. I hated it.

"That's better. Brian, Deaky, you can open your eyes. She's decent now." Freddie looked me over frowning as I clawed at the dress. Stupid human nails weren't sharp enough to rip anything. "Stop picking at the sequins! What is wrong with you, my dear? You're acting like an animal!"

"That's because I am an animal!" I snarled. "Now get this bloody thing off of me."

"Maybe she escaped from the local asylum?" Deaky surmised.

Freddie shook his head. "We can't have you parading around naked, now can we? No, I'm afraid I'm not even allowed to do that. Why don't we all just take a few deep breaths and you can answer some questions and try to figure out what the hell is going on."

"The box is missing from the mantel." Roger noted.

"What did Delilah do?" Freddie sighed, glancing around.

"I don't think this isn't a coincidence." Brian reasoned. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about a magical box that was resting right here, now would you?"

"Y-You're talking to me." I was actually able to communicate with the other members of Queen. It wasn't just Freddie. They could all understand me. "Brimi, we can talk to each other finally!" I squealed. "Oh I've waited for this day! Do you know how much I love you? 'Cause I really really love you. In fact, if it wasn't for me Freddie wouldn't have saved you after Paul killed you. Reviving you was my idea. You're welcome."

"What are you talking about? Freddie and I were alone in the tower when he saved me." Brian's words broke my heart. He forgot I was even there.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you need to stop flirting with my man right now." Roger got in my face.

I hissed at him. "Back off! I've known him longer than you!"

"We're fucking soulmates." Roger held up his ring. "Can't compete with that, bitch!"

"FREDDIE!" I screamed. "Roger called me a bitch again!"

There was no response from Freddie. Where did he go? I was so used to knowing where he was in the house based on scent, but my nose was failing me now. I didn't like this feeling of not knowing what Freddie was up to at all times. It reminded me of those days in the lab when I was taken away from him as punishment and tied to a post far away while they tortured him. "Where's my muse?" I whimpered.

" _Your_ muse?" John quipped.

"Who the fuck are you?" Roger demanded.

I let out a sigh of relief as Freddie rushed into the room. There he was, safe and sound although frazzled for some reason. "Delilah's missing! I can't find her anywhere! This is not a drill! She's gone!"

"I'm sure she'll turn up." Deaky comforted him. "Remember last time you thought you lost her and she was just hiding behind the shower curtain."

Oh yeah. I remember that. That tasty little mouse escaped down the shower drain before I could catch him. I spent my afternoon trying to stick my paw down there and snag him. Good times!

"All of the other cats are here. I just can't find Delilah. I don't like this. Where is she? Where's my kitty?" Freddie hyperventilated. Shit! This wasn't good. He was having a panic attack. Normally, I'd nuzzle myself against him, and if things got really bad I'd leap into his arms and lick away his tears. That usually did the trick.

"It's alright, love. We'll find her. Deep breaths for me." Deaky sat him down. Now was my chance. I plopped down onto Freddie's lap. "I'm here." I purred. "What the hell are you doing?" John shouted.

"Home wrecker." Roger accused.

"It's alright, darlings." Freddie composed himself. "She reminds me of Delilah." He pulled me close, petting the top of my head. I purred again, closing my eyes contentedly. I curled my clumsy human legs up against my chest and rested my chin on Freddie's knee. "Nap time." I announced before dozing off.

***

I woke up in a bed. That uncomfortable dress was replaced by a silky pink night gown that still felt like too much material. It was much more freeing to wear nothing at all, but I kept it on. At least this was soft.

_"Meow."_

Romeo was perched on my bed staring up at me curiously. I giggled. "Look at me, Romeo! I'm human!"

_"Meow?"_

"Is that what I sound like?" I pet Romeo. He mewled again. "Oh, honey, I can't understand you. Can you understand me?"

_'Meow.'_

"Is that a yes?"

_'Meow.'_

"Fuck! This is getting me nowhere. Where's Freddie?" Romeo jumped down from the bed and pushed the door open with his nose. He turned back and mewled for me to follow him.

I flopped down from the bed, landing on my stomach. "Oof!" Humans don't always land on their feet. I scrambled back up ready to chase after Romeo.

Brian stopped me at the door. "Oh!" I gasped. I brushed the hair out of my face and hid my eyes beneath my batting lashes. "Hi Brimi."

"Good morning. Freddie is fond of you so he let you stay for the night and once he gets an idea there's no talking him out of it. I can't speak for the others, but I think we need to talk."

"Well we _can_ talk now. Isn't it great? We're talking!" I squealed.

"So...how should I put this? We've noticed that you're...um not of sound mind. We don't know who you are or how you got here, but Freddie insists that you stay because you remind him of your cat..."Brian summarized.

"I _am_ his cat."

"Right." Brian dismissed. "So maybe you can give us some answers. There was a box on the mantel yesterday with a message written in Latin. Do you know anything about it?"

"Yes, but I'm not allowed to tell you about it or else I'll turn back into a cat." I explained. "Can we talk about something else please? Like how we can be together now that I'm human. Yeah. Let's talk about that." I leaned in and puckered my lips. Brian took a step back. "I'm sorry. I'm married. I'm not interested in you like that, and I don't think you're mentally stable enough for a relationship. No offense. You clearly need help. Is there anything we can do for you? Maybe someone we can call?"

"I live here, Brian. Freddie is the one you'd call, but you don't need to call him. You're being stupid."

Speaking of Freddie, the muse waltzed into the room following Romeo. "Delilah, darling, you're awake! Thank goodness!"

"Freddie, don't call her that." Brian reprimanded. "You're only giving into her delusion."

"But I am Delilah." I insisted.

"See? I told you. Perfectly logical explanation. The box turned her human." Freddie concluded and I nodded smugly. "Is that what happened to you, darling? I knew I shouldn't have left you in charge of that box. But don't you worry. Today we're gonna go back to the library and read everything there is to know about ancient magic and not get distracted this time. You'll be back to normal before you know it!"

Back to normal? Hell no! "I want to be this way. You can't change me back." I protested. "Being a human is fun."

"You want to stay like this?" Freddie laughed. "Oh Delilah, darling, don't be silly. You can't. You don't know the first thing about being a person."

"You believe her, Fred?" Brian asked skeptically.

"Of course I do." Freddie hugged me. "I knew it was you the moment you fell asleep on my lap. Now if you want to be human, you have to act the part. That means no fighting the beautiful clothes I sing for you. You have to wear them."

"But I don't like them." I complained tugging at the night gown. 

"You believe her?" Brian repeated. "Freddie, you've gone mad yourself." 

"I'm telling the truth! Freddie's not crazy! Why don't you love me?" I pouted. 

"He loves you, dear. We all do." Freddie assured me. "If this is really what you want, we'll help you, but you have to make an effort so you don't make a fool of yourself. You can't go round behaving like a cat anymore. Understand, lovie?" 

"Freddie, she's not Delilah! You're being duped." Brian cried. 

"You're afraid of tunnels!" I blurted. 

"What?" Freddie laughed. 

"That's ridiculous." Brian downplayed nervously. "Why would anyone be afraid of tunnels?"

I knew I was right and this would prove my identity. "When we were filming Breakthru, you had to stop filming when the train went through the tunnel. You blamed it on a stomach ache, but really you hid beneath the seat. I was the only one who saw you because the others were still on the roof. Freddie didn't want me on the roof with you so I stayed inside." 

"Delilah, you swore you'd never tell anyone about that!" Brian cried as Freddie snickered. 

"Yeah, but now you know it's me." I winked. 

"I'm sorry, darling. I just can't imagine you cramming your giraffe body beneath the seat." Freddie chortled. 

"Oh shut it, Fred!" 

"It's okay." I cooed. "I still love you, Brimi." I dared myself closer and put my human lips to his cheek. 

"Delilah, you naughty girl! Brian's married!" Freddie pulled me away. "I'm not letting you ruin his relationship with Roger. The two of them are soulmates. What about you and Romeo? Isn't he the love of your life?"

"I can't be with him anymore. I don't understand him. He just meows." I sighed. "But I'm happy like this. I wanna be human. Don't you want me to stay like this, Freddie?"

"I just want you to be happy, darling. Come. Deaky's making breakfast. I assume you won't be eating cat food this morning?"

"I'll be eating human food because that's what I am." I confirmed. 

Brian stepped in front of the door. "Roger and Deaky can hear nothing about the tunnels."

"Oh get over it, darling. We're all afraid of something." Freddie assured him. "But if it that's upsetting to you, I'll keep it a secret. What about you, Delilah?"

"Anything to win over your heart." I flirted. 

"Delilah, I appreciate that, but you're not going to make any leeway. My heart belongs to Roger, and I prefer to keep it that way. If you keep doing this you're going to get me in a lot of trouble with Rog. You don't want that, do you?"

"Actually I do want that." I grinned. 

"No, you don't." Freddie corrected. "Let's eat." 

Automatically, I crouched down in front of the food bowl marked Delilah. Freddie corrected me. "Humans get to sit at the table, darling." He put away my bowl. "No kibbles for you I'm afraid. You said so yourself. I'll feed the others." 

The other cats came rushing. I was so tempted to share a bowl with them because the food smelled so appetizing even to my weak nose. Romeo looked up at me mewling sadly. He pushed his bowl forward with his paws as if he were offering it to me. "I can't sweetheart." I sighed. "I'm human now."

I turned my back on my fellow felines and sat down at the table with John and Roger. "Freddie thinks you're a cat. John thinks you're mad. Brian thinks you're related to the magic box. And I haven't made up my mind yet." Roger said bluntly. "So what's the truth?" 

"All three we discovered." Brian spoke for me. "Delilah has gone mad because the magical box turned her human."

"I knew it!" Roger exclaimed.

"I am not mad!" I cried. "Please stop saying that!" 

"Cats are fed. Time for the people!" Freddie sang. He presented me with a plateful of Deaky's famous toast. "Yum!" I wolfed it down. 

"Table manners, darling!" Freddie cried. "Get your face up off that plate this instant!"

"How the hell am I supposed to eat it then?" I retorted. 

"In most cases you use cutlery, but toast is an exception. You use your hands, see?" He picked up his food and delivered it to his mouth. 

"That seems counterproductive." I brought my mouth directly to the food instead. 

"I thought I raised you better." Freddie shook his head. 

"Do you at least like my toast?" Deaky asked. 

"Yeah." I belched. "I love it! Can I have more?"

"Say please, darling." Freddie instructed. 

"You were way more lenient with me before. If I wanted more food I just made my eyes real big like this." I widened my eyes. 

"Cute, but that won't work this time. You want to be human, so I'm going to treat you like a human." He said. "So if you want more toast, you have to be polite and well-mannered." 

"Fuck that shit." 

"Watch your mouth, Delilah!" Freddie scolded. 

"You curse just as much as I do." I reminded him. 

A soft mewl made me look down. Romeo dropped a juicy mouse by my feet. The toast was tasty, but nothing could beat this. I picked up the mouse, dangling it by its tail over my mouth. 

"No, no more mice for you!" Freddie snatched the dead rodent and tossed it to the floor. Oscar pounced and ate the snack for himself. "Sorry, darling. Humans don't eat mice."

"I've officially lost my appetite. Here, Delilah, you can have the rest of my toast." Deaky offered. Yes! I took his plate and scarfed it down. When Freddie told me to thank John, I burped again. 

"I think I like you better this way Delilah." Roger grinned. "You're hilarious!" 

"Wanna share your husband with me?" I purred. 

"Not a chance." Proving a point, Roger smashed his lips up against Brian's abruptly. Brian choked on the fruit he was eating as a result of the unexpected kiss. 

"He's still mine." Roger declared. "Find your own soulmate."

With a sad sigh, I glanced back at Romeo. He rolled a ball of yarn toward me. Unable to resist, I rose from my seat and tumbled after the yarn ball. My big clumsy human feet were no help and I found myself tripping over them. I cursed. Freddie picked up the yarn ball. "You'll have to find other pastimes, my dear. I can teach you how to play piano if you'd like." He threw the ball towards the other cats. I watched as Tiffany and Mikko fought over the yarn, unraveling the threads with their teeth. 

"Oh this just isn't worth it." I groaned. 

I scrambled back to the Christmas tree and picked up Gigi's lamp where I had hidden it. The boys gasped. "Is that a genie lamp?" Brian exclaimed. I ignored them and rubbed the lamp. Gigi appeared just like before. 

"Hello Delilah. Are you enjoying your wish?"

"Darling, you wished for this?" Freddie concluded. "Why would you do that? Don't you like being a cat?" 

"I thought I would like it better being a human because you would take me seriously, but it's even worse now. You're so condescending. I can't take it." I said. "So, Gigi, I wish to be a cat again." 

Sparks flew from her fingertips. "Goodbye everybody!" I waved to Roger and Deaky and blew a kiss to Brian. Then my hand shifted back into a paw. I fell, landing on all fours. Ahh. Much better. 

Beaming with pride Freddie picked me up. "I'll always love you, Delilah, darling. I was being annoying on purpose so you'd choose to go back to being a cat because I know you're happier like this."

 _'Delilah's back!'_ Romeo mewled excitedly. 

"Ahh, so this whole time it was a genie box." Brian said. The same box from before was now left beneath the tree like a Christmas present. The lamp was nowhere to be found. 

"I have an idea." Roger said. He picked up the box and threw it onto the ground, smashing it. The lamp was revealed again. "Let's set this genie free."

"That's a great idea, darling! I was just thinking the same thing." Freddie proclaimed. 

_'I think Gigi deserves to go free.'_ I agreed. 

Roger rubbed the lamp, awaking Gigi again. The smoke filled the room as her form emerged. She yawned. "I feel like I just went back to sleep. Oh, Delilah, you're still here. I hope you're happy."

 _'I am.'_ I mewled.

"That's good. So who rubbed my lamp? Who's my new master?" 

"That would be me." Roger said. "And I wish for you to be set free." 

Suddenly the bracelets on Gigi's arms disappeared. Her smoky lower body morphed into two legs, no longer confined to the lamp. Just like that the golden lamp exploded into a glittering display of sparkles. 

"I-I don't believe it!" Gigi squealed. She jumped for joy and danced around. "I- I don't even know your name, former master. Thank you. Thank you.

"Roger Taylor. Don't mention it. Now that you're free. You can learn how to drive." He told her. 

"You can do whatever you want, darling. You're free!" Freddie sang. "Merry Christmas!" 

"Oh this is the greatest Christmas gift I could ever ask for." Gigi hugged each and every one of us. Then she picked me up for an extra special hug. "You're a good girl, Delilah." She cooed.

 _'I'm glad you're free now.'_ I licked her cheek making her laugh. 

"What are you going to do now?" Brian asked. 

"I don't know." Gigi laughed. "I get to decided for myself. I've never done that before. I've always been at the beck and call of a master. Do any of you happen to know Paul McCartney?" 

"The Beatle?" Roger asked. 

"No. He's not a beetle." Gigi frowned. "He's a fae from Liverpool." 

"Yeah. The Beatle." Deaky clarified. 

"He was best friends with a muse named John Lennon, a siren named Ringo Starfish, and a shapeshifter named George Harrison. They wanted to start a boy band. Oh and he had a dog named Martha. Is this ringing any bells?"

"His band is called the Beatles...um...Well Paul, George and Ringo are still with us. People love the Beatles, and they're considered one of the greatest rock bands in history, but they broke up a long time ago." Brian explained. "I'm sorry. You're a little late. 

_'Was Paul McCartney your last master before me?'_ I asked. 

"Yes. He was. I'm gonna go find him. Thanks again for everything. Merry Christmas!" Gigi snapped her fingers, and then she vanished without any more explanation. 

"Well this was certainly an eventful holiday season." Freddie exclaimed. 

"One we'll likely never forget." Deaky laughed. 

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah everyone!!! I'm sorry if the ending was rushed. I wanted to get this out before Christmas Eve. Hope you liked it!


End file.
